Ball game apparatus



May .20, 1930.

FQN. J. OHLSON BALL GAME APPARATUS I Filed June 27, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet l y 0, 1930. v F. N. J. OHLSON 1,759,802

BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I.

ZNJ Z6071 May 20, 1930. F. N. J. OHLSON v BALL GAME APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 2'7, 1928 y 20, 1930 F. N. J. OHLSON BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed June 27. 1928 e Shets-Sheet 4 a min May 20, 1930. F. N. J. QHLSON 1,759,802

BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed June 2' 192B 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 l g 75 )1 n j /l BALM/118m May 20, 1930. F. N. J. OHLSON 1,759,302

BALL GAME APPARATUS 7 Filed Jurie 27', 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 0/ "1 7/ g 415 I k 4..

i7 1 V 3 x 1 1 0 6 I. Zson l a 4 f A 45 4-7 Y v e:

Patented May 20, 1930 r EDeN, J QH SO 1mm, Home; 7

BAL GAME APPARATUS Application filed. June 27,:

This invention relates to game apparatus wherein balls are adapted to be thrown to displacepanels in order to disclose-num a s ordata which maybe used in computing the 5 score. l y

' An important'object is toprovide a novel construction wherein the figures, numerals or the like .used for computing the score, and their arrangemenn maybevaried-i l9 Aifurther 'primeobject istov provide a novel construction wherein a novelinclined floor is nseld in connection with a conveyor for. retnrningballs after being thrown, automatically to the starting. box or receptacle;

Afurther important object istoj provide a-novel construction of. means whereby the displaceable. panels maybe reset, and to pro? vide novel escapement and control means for the movablesignor element which displays the figures :or the like for icomputmg th 1 score.

V ariops additio n l bi and advantages will either bepo nted out: or becomeapparent o a i io of :the des ription 1 01- lowing takenineonnection with accompany. V mgrdrawings illustrating one operati e 6m.- bodiment .In said drawings :7 I I Fi ure 1 is a side view-inelevatlon of he mprevedhas ball gameapparatus some of the parts being 'hownphroken away i. .Q Fi ure 2 is a horizontal sectiona new 9n the plane indicated by th line Q .Fl ureil,

I Figure?) islalongitudinal Section l v w 9. the vertical plane indicatedbythel ne 3. .of'Fig'ure2, 1 V

Figure 4 is a plan view show ng operat; ing. mech nism ter '1 replacing the tar-ge a d for operating the asl'nstable. score-sheet,

' Figures. 5 ,all

d 6' transverse section l views en the planes. iodi at dhy the lm ashram-respective y, o Figure 3 and Eigure :7 is a de ail new of heopem mg mechanism tor the r el ont ollmg th p sitionvofathe,scoresheet- I sumo, th dr w ngathe devicezinay comprises h u ing o ag -lik structure which" is geney designated 10 end- ;whichomayzbe permanently hniltflimb a Reterrmgzspecific tain baseballs or other balls which are thrown f-which a r0 1928. Serial No. 88,668.; 1

building or be portable or knock down so that it may be transferred from place to place I according to the field of use. j

The, cage 10 has framev members as at 11 to whichwire netting, grating 01' the like as at 12 is fastened at thetopand both sides, the

cage being open at the upper portion of the if rear as'at 13, so that balls may be thrown forwardly- The base. of the structure is shown atl a at a is ance abo e e Se ma suit.- ably upp ed n the frame 1 isv a re -War y and d w wardlyzinc ned shelf Whih l ads o a ugh 16 direc y. at the bas o th op ing 13 an which i a p d to conn th p aying of th game- At the forward end of the housing or cage 10 is a suitable skeleton frame 17, providing amnltiplicity of relatively closely arranged e ta gular or, qua open n 1 each which has a displaceable panel 19 disposed therein. Such panels 19 each have a suitable design or emblem painted or delineated thereon as shown and eachis fastened rigidly to a h nge 0 p n e o 2 p otally oun ed in adjacent partsof the frame 17, whereby said panels 19 are pivoted on a horizontal axisadjacenttheir bases. The panels 19 will normally remain elevated or they may be are-- ranged'to incline slightly upwardly and rear- 130 wardly. Y e

I When tlie ballsare tlirowliforwar'ch if they strike any panel 19, the samewillbe dis placed, falling'rearwardly anddownwardly,

permitting the ball to travel through" the 85 I corresponding space 18 and strike a score "sheet or back stop sheet 21 and 22, respectively, v

v am ram rear of frame I ller 2 1 is journaled by means of trunnions 25. The score sheet 21 n ay be of canvas or other flexible material and is adapted to ha 0 over the roller 24, the fore 10 includesnprights 23 in the ward end ofthe sheet 21 having a bar 26 .95, f

fastened thereto which serves as weight.

The back stop sheet 22 is stationarily j fastened to the uprights 23 and may, be of" y w I anyfdesired'material, for instance canvas. or evenwo d or metal as desired. Each ,of the 32 17 in the ripper portions of 99 40 ened tosuitab'le parts of the housing 10, and

sheets 21 and 22 is divided up into spaces 27 corresponding numberand size to the openings 18 and each space'ha'ving a score numeral or indication 28 painted or other- Wise, delineated thereon. 'The spaces 27 are} adapted to register with the said openings 18.

give the 'scoreor any other rule or rules for displaced orlowered; "The frames'3O are conplaying the game may be utilizedyit being obvious that many modifications thereof are permissible and specifically form nopart of the present invention. 7

Pivoted to the framel7 as at 29 are'gener ally U-shaped frames '30 having horizontal bars 31 against whichthepanels 19 restwhen V nected together by flexible elements orcords 32 and longercords or'fiexi'ble elements 33 V v passfrom the uppermost one, andare trained over suitable guide'pulleys 34 of theframe 17 oriadj'a'centthe same and are then connected toja master cable or flexible element 35 leach ing-froma'hand operable lever 36 which 1s 1 pivoted'as at 37 toa base88}fastened.on-the base, 14. f-The weight of the lifting frames '[normally holds them in'their lowered posiuprights 23.

tion so that after the lever 36 is pulled rear- 7 I Wardly to restore the panels19 to closed position, theframes"30 willautomaticallyby gravityfallin normal position where they rest-on elements 39 connecting' frame 17 and I The sheet 21at its. lower edge has cables or oted toianoperatinglever 52 pivoted asat 53 V tothe"base"38. A contractile spring-54 is I fastened'to lever 52andframe'45and serves 7 to urge the lever 52 toits foremost position.

flexible elements 40connected thereto which are trained over'guide pulleys 41each fastare then secured to a master cable or flexible :element" 42 which is fastened to a drum 43 and "adapted to be Wound around the same. 7 45 mounted'in a frame 45 supported on the base.

Suchdru'm loose .on'a shaft 44 suitably 14; Rigid with. the drum-43 is a ratchet 1 wheel'46 'alsof1oose n shaft 44. "Aldet'ent 47 normally holds the ratchet'wheel46 and pulley 43 against'fretrograde'movement, being urged into engagement with the ratchet by "an expansive spring as at 48., and being .piv oted' as at 49 to the frame 45. Also loosely v pivoted on1the'shaft 44 is a lever 50 to which a bar 51 ispivoted and which in turn is piv- Pivoted to thelever 50 as at 55 is a hook pawl -56-having a lug 57 thereon and a tooth 58, ex

. V tending from opposite sides. 7 A contractile *spring 59 is connected'both to-the pawl 56 and the lever 50 tending to urge the pawl 56 into engagement with the ratchet wheel so ratchet wheel 46; 7

In order that the apparatusmay bev well illuminated, electric lamps may be provided adjacent the opening l3 as at 69 anda 'row' that when the lever 52 is pulled rearwardlyy the ratchet wheel will be moved one tooth which corresponds to the height of a space 27 so that according to eachfmanipulation of the lever 52 in the manner aforesaich'the scorle sheet2l will be pulled down a distance corresponding. to the height, of space 27, against theweight of the bar In this way, since the sheets'2l and 22 are of the same size and the numerals thereon are'di-fferent, preferably being reversed from top I to bottom, the scoring values of the hits made by the ball may be changed from time'to time 7 by moving the score sheet 21 relatively to the score sheet 22 to vary the numerals exposed by displacing one'or more of the panels 19.

' It will be apparent that as the spaces 27 on sheet 21 have the scoring numerals 28 differs ently arranged from those on sheet 22 that a r one or more panels 19; if sheet22 is entirely V exposed from that that would result if; sheet diflerentscore would result by displacing 21 entirely covers sheet 22, and that by arranging'sheet'21to expose one ormore of the horizontal rows of spaces 27 of sheet 22 a different score; would result for each change of position'of the sheet 21-. .For example, in

the construction shown'in the drawings, 1t is posslble to have five variations of thescoring Y valuesof the spaces of the combined score sheets. Normally the hook 56 isdisengag'edf from the ratchet Wheelby the abutment or resting of lug 57 on an abutment 60 provided on the-frame 45 adjacent tothe same. I

V In order to release the ratchet and drum so that the weight 26 will move the sheet 21Tto its uppermost position, anotheri operating lever 62 is provided, being pivoted at 63 to r the plate 38 and being urged forwardly bya contractile spring 64 fastenedto the lever and to the frame 45. Such lever 62 has a lug 65, arranged in engagement with a1ever '66 pivoted at 67 to a bracket 68 on the base 14.

Lever 66 engages'one end of the detent-47. I: Hence 7 rearward .movement; of the lever 62 causes lug 65- to tilt lever 66 and thereby de press the rear end of detent 47 out of engage mentwith the ratchet wheel'46, whereupon the weight 26 will cause the .sheet21 to move to its highest position at the 1 rear "portions thereof,accordingly drawingon theicables 40'and 41 and turning {the idrum 43.-and

,of'lamp's may be provided as at 70'between the frame 17 and the sheet'21; being supported 5 'for instance on a frame71 and being-protected from contact by'the thrown balls by grating or metal fabric'as at 7 2. Such lamps may be of any capacity or style desired but may be particularly headlights'of the type I used on automobiles. i 5 The levers 36 52 and 62 extend upwardly,

through andabove slots 73, 74: and 7 provided in the shelf 15 and which slots are of a platform 15. In suchslot'or opening 77 ,an

length to-limit the throw of such levers.

' Extending forwardly from the shelf'15 are shelves or platforms 76 which inclinedownwardly and forwardly from 'theplatform 15 :to the frame 17 and also incline especially at their forward endsdownwardly and inwardly. By reason of such inclination of the plat forms 7 6, thrown balls" fall intoor roll into a longitudinal central opening77 which is extended also part way through theshelfor endless conveyor 7 8"operates so as to return the baseballs to the; pocket or box 16. The conveyor 78 may be of any approved type,

having flights 79 thereon to assist in moving through the motor i V the box 16. I

V the invention;

the balls. v

The conveyor 78 is trained over pulleys 80 suitably mounted on frame 17 and on a frame 81. A tensi'oning roller 82may be operatively associated with the conveyor 7 8; A motor,

trained over said roller, means engageable with the movable score sheet to pull the same in one direction, and means tourge movement of the score sheet in the other direction.

6. Game apparatus having a frame provided with openings through which articles are adapted to be projected, relatively movable score members in the rear of said -openlugs and adapted to register therewith, the

relative movement of the members permitting varlation in the score data exposed;

7. Gameflapparatus having a frame'pro vided with openings through-which articles are adaptedto be projected, relatively moV-l,

able score members'in' the rear of said openings and adaptedtoregistertherewith, and

means operable to move the movable score sheet distances corresponding to the heigl'it of said openings. a a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. FRED N. J. QHLSON,

such as an electric motor 83 is mounted on the base 14' and drives a belt 84 which in turn drives a pulley 85 journaled as at 86 on the frame 91' and having a pulley 87 rigid therewith over which another belt 88 passes which is trained over a pulley 89 on the adjacent roller 80. A tensioning roller 90 may be associatedwith the belt 84." Thus it will be realized, the conveyor-7 8 is kept constantly in motion when the electric current is passing 83, to return the balls to Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of I claim as my invention 1. Game apparatus having a'shelf, a re-' ceptacle to which the same leadsand adapted to hold balls, platforms extendingforwardly and downwardly from said shelf, a conveyor "to return balls onto said shelf so as to roll I into the receptacle, and said platforms being inclined inwardly and downwardly to cause the balls to roll onto the conveyor.

2. Game apparatus of-the class described having a plurality of members containing 7 J 1 score data, and means to vary the position of v one member withrespect to the other so as to alter the arrangement of the score data.

3. Game apparatus of the class described "having a stationary sheet containing score data, and a movable sheet conta nmg'score data and coacting therewith.

4. Game apparatus'of' thejclass described having 'astationary sheet containing score data, a movable sheet containing score data I andvcoactingtherewith, a roller over which 

